Social Scene

Mary Bird • June 18, 2012

Ambassador of Japan Ichiro Fujisaki and Mrs. Fujisaki were the Honorary Diplomatic Chairs at this year’s WPAS Gala and Auction which took place at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel on April 21. NBC4 Anchor Barbara Harrison emceed the event which headlined musical giant Brian Stokes Mitchell. Governor of Virginia Bob McDonnell astutely noted that “if we could get Congressmen singing and dancing together, we might get something done.” Among its many outreach activities, the WPAS Embassy Adoption Program has touched the lives of over 60,000 children. [gallery ids="123393,123327,123387,123336,123381,123345,123376,123361,123369" nav="thumbs"]

Gary Tischler •

We were almost late to the Washington National Opera premiere production of Giuseppi Verdi’s spectacular and inventive “Nabucco” last Saturday because our cab driver drove smack into the crowd scene surrounding the White House Correspondents’ Dinner at the Washington Hilton.

Rubberneckers hoping to see George Clooney or Lindsay Lohan lined parts of Connecticut Avenue in the beginning rain. We settled for “Nabucco,” aka Nabucodonosor, aka Nebuchadnezzar, plus his two daughters Fenena, the lovely, and Abigaille, the fierce, plus a host of Hebrews in captivity, a high priest of Baal and a cast of hundreds including a magnificent chorus.

I thought about the WHCD a little during the long course of “Nabucco” because director Thaddeus Strassberger (who also designed the sets) brought a two-edged sensibility to the production, a kind of showtime aspect as well a faithful presentation of the kind of opera for which Verdi was famous.

Strassberger’s main conceit or invention is to stage the opera as it might be seen on an opening night in Milan’s Teatro alla Scala on March 9, 1842, with the tuxedoed swells and their jeweled ladies in boxes watching from boxes, presaged by marching soldiers. He revisits the concept later in the opera when the stage is transformed, with a large, white-clad chorus assembling to sing the moving “Va, pensiero,” a musical piece so powerful that it became the unofficial national anthem of Italy once it achieved unification. Closer to the front of the stage, you can see a ballerina practicing, men and women milling at a table, and patrons of the time moving about.

This apparently approximated performance practices of the times–frequent intermissions, prologues, performances by ballet dancers, a kind of informality that was both grand and intimate.

Since “Va, pansiero” is a kind of longing, full-bodied lament on the part of the Israelites in captivity in Babylon for the lost homeland, one might think the business on the stage might distract from the plight. But the opposite takes hold–it becomes a moving, extended moment (which had echoes for a divided and occupied Italy), so moving that it is done again, with the hope that the audiences of the time might join in.

Historically, “Va, pansiero” is a highlight of any production of “Nabucco.” That was true for the WNO production, but Verdi’s music, so expansive and such a boon for the orchestra, draped itself over the principals, all of them in various degrees gifted with requisite vocal and acting skills. While several narrative strands emerge from the opera–there’s Nabucco’s calamitous, blasphemous destruction of Solomon’s Temple, the defeat and captivity of the Hebrews and the effect on their leaders — a love affair between one Fenena and a handsome Hebrew warrior, the anti-hero and anti-heroine of “Nabucco” are the Babylonian king and his low-born, grandly angry and resentful warrior daughter Abigaille.

While there are imposing vocals and star turns by bass Soloman Howard as a venomous high priest of Baal, Turkish bass Burak Bilgili as the Hebrew leader Zaccaria, French mezzo-soprano Geraldine Chauvet in a moving performance as Fenena and tenor Sean Panikar in heroic form as Ismael, the burden of the opera has to be carried by Italian baritone Franco Vassallo as Nabucco and Hungarian soprano Csilla Boross, as his usurping daughter as Abigaille. They occupy large chunks of this nearly three-hour opera, sometimes in cross-purposed, combative duets, sometimes by themselves, especially Vassallo as Nabucco moves in and out of madness alone in a prison cells. Boross hits the highest notes possible at the top of the scale in full rage, her bile and resentment boiling over, preceded by lower-level guile as she attempts to manipulate the king.

This is Verdi-style grand opera, of course, and not to be mistaken for history, per se, although the scale and sources are somewhat biblical–gods, the Babylonian Baal and the Hebrew Jehovah, are omni-present if not in the flesh. The production–subtle in some of its staging–also means to bowl you over with sheer grandiosity, and it succeeds. Mattie Ullrich’s diverse, eye-pleasing costume designs–the clean white of the Hebrews contrasts sharply with the rich, intricate, gold and greens of the Babylonian hierarchy, mixing in with more spectral presences and the 19th-century evocations of the on-stage onlookers.

“Nabucco” is being performed at the Kennedy Center’s Opera House through May 21. [gallery ids="102449,121127,121137,121133" nav="thumbs"]

Mary Bird •

The Helen Hayes Tribute, sponsored by Jaylee Mead, was presented at the Warner Theatre on April 23 to Kevin Spacey. Chairman of the theatreWashington Board of Directors Victor Shargai termed him a man who understands that theatre is a transforming experience. Spacey delighted the audience with tales such as when his mentor Jack Lemmon recommended him for an apartment in New York by saying of the then young actor “the only things he’s ever stolen are my scenes.” Greater Washington is second only to New York for the number of yearly productions.

Robert Devaney •

The parties before and after the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner, April 28, are at least half the fun of running around town, whether to Vote Latino at the Hay Adams, NPR’s party at the Gibson Guitar Showroom, Tammy Haddad’s brunch at Mark Ein’s house on R Street (the former home of Washington Post publisher Katharine Graham), the newly launched Google party, the Time reception at the St. Regis, the Capitol File party at the Newseum or the MSNBC party at the Italian Embassy. Of course, the pre-dinner receptions at the Washington Hilton are great for checking out the scene. Just show a ticket to the guard at the escalator. And, of course, the main event itself, where the president and Jimmy Kimmel threw out jokes on the GSA, Secret Service, Mitt Romney, dogs and the media. Thank goodness for the McLaughlin Group-Thomson Reuters brunch on Sunday atop the Hay-Adams: a sunny, mellow way to recover from the parties with friends and colleagues. Yeah, it was sort of a nerd prom when “glitz meets geeks,” as one smartie observed, but it’s ours for a few days in April each year. [gallery ids="100769,123448,123441,123433,123428,123461,123420,123468,123413,123475,123405,123482,123454" nav="thumbs"]

Robert Devaney •

Once again the Corcoran Gallery transformed into an exhibit gala of guests, dinner and dance for its 57th annual ball April 20. Under the honorary patronage of France’s Ambassador Francois Delattre and his wife Sophie and the honorary chair of artist Sam Gilliam, the ball chair Deborah de Gorter threaded the galleries with happy, art-loving partiers and patrons. [gallery ids="100771,123521,123514,123485,123508,123501,123493" nav="thumbs"]

Robert Devaney •

The Mellon Auditorium glistened with red and gold as dancers celebrated the Washington Ballet’s own premiere take on Lewis Carroll’s fantasy. Guests were welcomed by Sylvia de Leon, Elizabeth Bagley and Septime Webre and treated to a dance selection of the work and performances by student dancers. [gallery ids="100772,100772,123530,123509,123530,123509,123517,123525" nav="thumbs"]

Georgetowner •

Conrad Cafritz, Chairman of Modus Hotels, welcomed fortunate guests to a preview of Avenue Suites and the West End’s newest outdoor cocktail destination A Bar. Guests enjoyed lychee martinis accompanied by tempting nibbles. DJ Neekola was joined by New York-based electric violinist Sarah Charness. Highlights were the sun dappled patio and a second floor suite draped in chocolates and desserts where guests could win a weekend stay at Avenue Suites, chef’s tasting at Marcel’s and a gift card to A Bar. [gallery ids="100761,123198,123161,123193,123168,123188,123174,123182" nav="thumbs"]

Bethany Trigilio •

The L’Enfant Society hosted its annual “Ball on the Mall” on May 5. The event, co-chaired by Christian Gullott and Marissa Mitrovich of the L’Enfant Society, and sponsored by Time Warner, Inc., and HBO Verizon, raises money for the Trust for the National Mall, a nonprofit partner of the National Park Service, which cannot fund necessary repairs due to budget cuts. Dressed to impress, guests dined and danced, and as they exited the event, were greeted by a full moon peeking out from behind the Washington Monument, as if to serve as a reminder of why they were there. [gallery ids="100803,124508,124478,124502,124495,124487" nav="thumbs"]

Mary Bird •

GALA, the National Center for Latino Performing Arts, celebrated the Inter-American Year of Culture in collaboration with the Organization of American States at the Art Museum of the Americas on April 16. The picture perfect evening honored singer/songwriter Ricardo Montaner, arts and business leader Janet Farrell, and American Airlines for its corporate philanthropy. GALA provides opportunities for the Latino artist, educates youth and engages the entire community. Costa Rican Ambassador Muni Figueres heralded GALA Co-founder/Executive Director Rebecca Medrano as “a motor and a muse.” [gallery ids="100764,123252,123246,123240,123211,123234,123220,123227" nav="thumbs"]